Unification Church faces intensified prosecutorial scrutiny, arrests
SEOUL, July 31 (UPI) -- South Korea's special prosecutor has significantly expanded its investigation into the Unification Church. The probe now zeroes in on its senior leadership for alleged financial crimes and political meddling.
On Saturday, Jung Wonju, long-time vice president of the Cheon Mu Won, the central administration arm of the church, and executive secretary to Chairwoman Hak Ja Han, returned to Korea under what local media suggest was legal pressure.
Meanwhile, Yoon Young-ho, once a high-ranking executive in the church, was formally arrested and detained on allegations of offering bribes and luxury gifts to Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, a close ally of former president Yoon Suk-yeol.
Yoon is suspected of seeking political favors in return -- a charge now at the center of the special prosecutor's inquiry.
The resignation of Jung Hee-taek, president of the conservative Segye Ilbo newspaper, known to be closely aligned with the church's inner circle, is viewed as a sign of internal collapse within a power structure once dubbed "Jung Wonju's kingdom."
International developments reinforce the mounting legal and moral pressure.
In Japan, a Tokyo court issued a dissolution order against the church's Japanese branch-- formally revoking its tax-exempt status and mandating asset liquidation -- after finding that followers were manipulated into making excessive donations through coercive appeals.
In a separate ruling, the Tokyo District Court also approved a request by former followers to provisionally seize the land owned by the church's Japanese headquarters in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, as security to guarantee future restitution.
The ruling followed revelations surrounding aggressive "spiritual sales" practices and the church's longstanding ties to Japanese political figures.
At the core of the investigation are detailed records seized from the church -- three years' worth of financial documentation and digital files. Prosecutors are tracing suspicious transactions and political donations, including attempts to influence key lawmakers.
Sources close to the investigation say that formal summonses for Hak Ja Han, Jung Wonju and Lee Cheong-woo, a senior executive, are expected in the coming weeks as the probe enters a critical phase.
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The Yoon controversy and the politics of perception Though outwardly cordial, the private Oval Office discussions turned frank when Trump addressed the arrest of former President Yoon, who had been admired in Washington for his staunch anti-communism and pro-U.S. alignment. Trump: "Mr. President, President Yoon stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us to counter communism and support liberty. Many Americans, and frankly many of my supporters, believe he's being politically persecuted. It raises serious questions about fairness in a key ally." Lee responded firmly but diplomatically: "President Yoon is entitled to due process under the law. Our judiciary is independent, and my administration does not interfere in legal proceedings. I welcome scrutiny, and I assure you democracy in Korea is strong because we adhere to the rule of law, not to protect power, but to protect justice." The discussion was intense but respectful. 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After the press conference, the White House and the Korean Presidential Office issued this joint vision statement: Joint Vision Statement of the Republic of Korea and the United States of America, Washington, D.C., August 2025 President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea and President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America met in Washington, D.C., in August 2025 and reaffirmed the enduring strength, purpose and future trajectory of the ROK-U.S. Alliance. They affirmed their nations' shared commitment to defending liberty, promoting peace and advancing human dignity across the Korean Peninsula, the Asia-Indo-Pacific and beyond. Recognizing the evolving security landscape and internal challenges faced by both democracies, the two leaders pledged to elevate the ROK-U.S. Alliance into a Global Comprehensive Strategic Alliance, one grounded in freedom, unity, strategic agility and an unshakeable commitment to the Korean people's right to self-determination. Restoring the strategic narrative: information and influence as instruments of peace President Trump and President Lee jointly recognized that information is a critical domain of strategic competition and human freedom. They expressed deep concern over recent decisions that dismantled decades of information and broadcasting efforts to the Korean people in the North, including: • The 2025 termination of the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia Korea Services by the U.S. government • The 2025 suspension of ROK National Intelligence Service-led radio broadcasts into North Korea The leaders agreed that these decisions must be reversed. To this end, they pledged to: • Reinstate the VOA and RFA Korean Services immediately, with renewed mandates to support truth, human rights, and democratic values • Resume Republic of Korea radio broadcasts into North Korea, led by a newly chartered interagency unit under the Ministry of Unification. • Establish a Joint Information and Influence Coordination Group to synchronize alliance messaging, support defectors and civil society, and modernize information delivery across digital, cyber and unconventional channels. The presidents affirmed that the human rights of the Korean people in the North are not only a moral priority but a strategic center of gravity in the pursuit of permanent peace. They committed to a human rights upfront approach that informs all alliance strategy toward North Korea. Shared vision for a free and unified Korea The two leaders reaffirmed that the unnatural division of the Korean Peninsula must be resolved. 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The leaders agreed that democracy must never be sacrificed to expediency and that freedom and fairness are the foundation of alliance legitimacy. Modernizing the alliance for strategic agility The leaders announced major steps to optimize the alliance's defense posture in support of regional and global stability: • Designating South Korea a strategic agility platform for the defense of Korea and the projection of ROK and U.S. forces for contingencies in the Asia-Indo-Pacific region • Establishing a Combined ROK-U.S. Multi-Domain Task Force operating across land, sea, air, cyber, space and the electromagnetic spectrum. • Resumption of rotational U.S. infantry combat patrols on the DMZ, under tactical control of ROK frontline units. • Increased combined training, missile defense integration and cyber defense coordination. • Dual-apportionment of U.S. forward forces in Korea to support both Korean Peninsula and Indo-Pacific contingencies, including in the Taiwan Strait. • Korea's geostrategic location will serve as a strategic agility platform to enable rapid response, deterrence and alliance resilience across the theater. Economic and technological partnership for freedom and security The leaders reaffirmed their countries' deep economic and innovation partnership: • South Korea remains one of the largest foreign direct investors in the United States, supporting tens of thousands of U.S. jobs in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, batteries and clean energy. • The two countries committed to strengthen supply chain security for critical technologies and rare earth minerals. • Expanded cooperation artificial intelligence, quantum computing and cybersecurity will form a critical axis of alliance modernization. Conclusion: reclaiming the front lines of freedom President Lee and President Trump concluded that the ROK-U.S. alliance is not a legacy of the past, but rather a living, evolving instrument of democratic strategy. In an age of authoritarian revisionism and disinformation, the alliance must stand for more than deterrence. It must stand for truth, for liberty and for the unalienable rights of all people. Together, they pledged: "To speak clearly, act decisively and stand boldly with the Korean people in their journey to freedom and unification." The alliance remains ironclad in commitment, modern in strategy, and unbreakable in purpose. America First. Korea Unified. Truth Forward. Again, please note this is a work of fiction. David Maxwell is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel who has spent more than 30 years in the Asia Pacific region. He specializes in Northeast Asian security affairs and irregular, unconventional and political warfare. He is vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation. After he retired, he became associate director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. He is on the board of directors of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and the OSS Society and is the editor at large for the Small Wars Journal.
